Long spout replacement caps

ABSTRACT

A cap to be used to convert one of a number of pre-existing disposable plastic beverage containers containing a beverage and threaded cap into a long spout squeeze bottle avoiding the use of a separate squeeze bottle container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/969,118 filed Feb. 2, 2020, entitled “Replacement cap with long spout for use with commercial water and sports drink plastic bottles” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to the field of beverages, and more specifically to beverages contained in disposable plastic bottles with removable threaded caps, such that the inventive replacement cap can be affixed to the original beverage bottle to make a long spout squeeze bottle out of the original beverage bottle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many sports activities require the use of face protection in the form of masks or cages (examples; football, hockey, lacrosse, baseball, softball). In addition, face protection is used in certain industries as personal protection equipment for certain tasks. Consumption of a beverage requires removing the face protection which can interfere with playing the sport or delaying the completion of a task. To avoid this, prior art squeeze bottles with a long spout have been manufactured for consuming beverages while wearing such equipment and are illustrated in patent application U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,128 A. Beverages need to be transferred to these reusable long spot bottles and the original beverage containers are usually discarded.

Expelling the beverage from the squeeze bottles are powered by exerting pressure (squeezing) on the container with the user's hand or reducing pressure inside the bottle by sucking on the spout with the mouth. Its fundamental characteristic is that either the manual pressure applied to the container or the relative reduced pressure applied by sucking on the nozzle is harnessed to expel the liquid from the container through the cap spout. A few types of squeeze bottles, like those disclosed in patent application U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,936 A have been developed for these types of applications with either an extended spout that allow the tip of the spout to extend to the mouth through the holes in the mask or cage allowing fluids to be consumed without removal of the face protection. Some squeeze bottles do not have an internal tube (dip tube) extending to the bottom of the bottle and require inverting the bottle to expel the beverage.

Existing state of the art requires a clean squeeze bottle be available to consume a beverage when wearing face protection.

There is a need to introduce a replacement cap for retrofitting to one of a number of pre- existing disposable plastic beverage containers that provides squeeze bottle functionality without requiring the beverage to be transferred to a separate container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed herein is a retrofitting long spout cap designed to fit commercial beverage bottles of a number of pre-existing beverage containers. The long spout extends from the cap fixture. The spout extends an orifice from the cap surface to the distal end of the spout. The cap fixture is designed with threads that are compatible with common commercially available plastic beverage bottles. In general, most water and beverages are packaged in bottles having standard thread sizes.

The beverage industry continues to downgauge to thinner-wall bottles to reduce the amount of energy and the carbon foot print used to make the bottles. In addition, lighter bottles cut weight and allow for more products to ship at lower freight costs. It was found that this downgauging trend has created a new opportunity considering most disposable plastic bottles used for commercial beverages are now sufficiently deformable (made from resilient flexible plastic materials) to act as a squeeze bottle for at least a single use. Removing the original bottle cap exposes the beverage bottles male screw threads (bolt threads). The cap of the subject invention has female screw threads (nut threads) that are compatible with the bottle threads to create a water-tight assembly.

A product of this invention has the advantage of allowing consumers of beverages to be able to purchase long spout replacement caps for direct capping to disposable plastic beverage bottles rather than transferring the beverages into long spout squeeze bottles.

Extended spout squeeze bottle enables drinking in situations where the consumer requires face protection. The current invention has the advantage of replacing the need for extended spout squeeze bottles. Replacement caps turn any plastic bottle beverage into an extended spout squeeze bottle. Replacement caps can be disposable or cleaned for reuse and are more convenient and easier to carry with gear than an extended spout squeeze bottle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1. Example of a typical disposable plastic bottle used to contain beverages with a threaded bottle (bolt) opening and threaded cap (nut).

FIG. 2. Two orthogonal views of the long spout replacement cap in accordance with one embodiment of the subject invention. Cap nut threads are fashioned to be compatible with the plastic beverage bottle containers bolt threads and designed to create a liquid-tight seal.

FIG. 3. Cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the cap in FIG. 2, illustrating the inside portion of the cap containing the nut threads.

FIG. 4. Replacement cap with long spout affixed to the treads of a disposable plastic beverage bottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views. Single use bottled water and beverages are sold at many sporting events. Disposable beverage bottles continue to downgauge to thinner-wall bottles to reduce the amount of energy and the carbon foot print used to make the bottles. The sufficient pliability characteristic of the thinner-wall disposable beverage bottles forms the opportunity to act as a squeeze bottle, at least for a single use. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a common plastic beverage bottle 10 with the threaded cap 12 removed. The plastic bottles 10 have one of a number of standard bolt thread sizes 11.

It would be beneficial to replace the original cap on the single use beverage container with one that allows drinking while wearing a face protector to avoid transferring the contents to a separate squeeze bottle having a long spout.

This invention relates generally to the field of dispensers for liquids, of the category commonly known as “squeeze bottles”. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel long spout replacement cap assembly which can be used to replace the original beverage container cap allowing drinking of fluids from the original beverage container when face masks or cages are worn. After removing the bottle's original cap, a threaded long spot replacement cap is affixed to the bottle.

In accordance with the subject invention, FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of long spout cap 20. The bottle cap 20 is preferably formed from plastic. The most common materials that are used in making plastic bottle cap are polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and polycarbonate.

Molding is one of the manufacturing processes to make caps. The polymeric materials and additives are kept in a preheated mold. The heat crosslinks the polymers in thermosets to maintain the mold shape and provides the cap with hardness. If thermoplastics are used there is no crosslinking and the cooling of the molten materials causes hardening which allows the material to maintain the shape of the mold. Once the mold is cooled the cap is removed from the mold.

The following steps that take place to manufacture plastic bottle caps when using the molding process: fixing of the proportion of polymeric materials, melting the raw materials, injecting the molten materials into molds, allowing the polymers to set, cooling of molds, removing the final end product, smoothing the surface to give final finish. Other processes are also available such as urethane casting, 3D printing, thermoforming, and computer numerical control (CNC) machining.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section view of cap 20, shown in FIG. 2, taken along line A-A. The base contains the compatible threads 23 disposed on an inner surface of the cylindrical base 21.

The extended spout replacement caps are produced with compatible threads 23 to the original water, soft drink or other hydrating drinks manufactures plastic container bolt threads 11 such that they can be directly attached to the original plastic beverage container converting the original beverage container into a squeeze bottle that can be used in circumstances where face cages or masks are warn. Caps are designed with base 21 and a long cylindrical spout 22. The spout length is preferable 2 to 12 inches. More preferable 3 to 8 inches. The spout outside diameter is 0.2 to 0.8 inches wide, more preferable 0.3 to 0.7 inches. The base of the cap 21 has an outside diameter of 0.5 to 3.0 inches, more preferably 1 to 2 inches.

A plurality of such caps may be packaged together for commercial sale containing a variety of nut thread sizes to directly attach to a variety of standard bolt thread sizes of common commercial beverage and hydrating drinks available in the market in disposable plastic bottles.

FIG. 4 reveals the attachment of cap 20 to a bottle 10 containing a beverage, in which the bottle opening bolt threads 11 are compatible to the cap nut threads 23.

Alternatively, compatible threads can also be produced by the use of couplings, unions or adapters between the inventive cap and bottle making the cap a two-part assembly. Adapters and union fittings either reduce or expand to a different thread size. These devices facilitate the connecting of the bottle and a replacement cap when they cannot be connected directly. Such unions can go by the Male-Female or Bolt-Nut thread terminology known to those skilled in the art as either a reduction or expansion coupling. A set of unions with nut threads sizes compatible with standard beverage bottle bolt thread sizes can be used with a single bolt thread size compatible with the nut thread on the replacement cap base. The replacement caps are then assembled by using the appropriate adapter for the particular beverage bottle with a single long spout cap assembly. Example of union connector can be found in the replacement cap product called Flip-It!®. Both connections designed to create a liquid-tight seal. Gaskets between the two parts can be used to improve sealing to prevent fluid leakage.

In another approach a single cap can have multiple nut thread types arranged concentrically allowing a single base to fit more than one standard bottle bolt thread sizes.

The cap may incorporate a valve 24 assembly between the base 21 and long spout 22 to prevent liquid from accidentally flowing from the bottle. The valve creating an open, fluid flowing state and a closed, fluid-stopped state that include, push-pull actuation valve like those described in patent applications U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,104,008 A and 5,392,939 A and are herein included in their entirety. Pull actuated are used to secure liquids inside the bottle and require manually pulling the spout away from the threaded end of the cap opening the valve for dispensing of liquid.

A valve creating an open, fluid flowing state and a closed, fluid-stopped state can also include squeeze threshold activated spouts or pressure differential valve like those disclosed in patent application U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,118,573 A1 and 6,523,711 B1, and are herein included in their entirety, that dispense liquid when pressure inside the bottle exceeds the spout diaphragms valves capacity to maintain closed allowing liquid to flow out of the container. Diaphragms prevent leakage when not being squeezed.

The inventive cap may contain a one-way air inflow orifice separate from a liquid outflow orifice as described in patent application U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,952 A and is herein included in its entirety.

To expel beverages in the upright position an internal dip tube that extends to the bottom of the bottle from the cap 20 can be added to the replacement cap. The bottle allows the consumption of a liquid without tipping the bottle as described in patent application U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,179 A and is herein included in its entirety. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A long spout replacement bottle cap for retrofitting to one or more pre-existing disposable beverage containers containing a removable threaded cap, comprising: a. a cap base with nut threads disposed on the inner surface that are compatible with commercial beverage bottle bolt threads with one or more pre-existing beverage containers, b. a long spout attached to the center of the cap base extending the base orifice from about 2 to 12 inches from the base, wherein the replacement bottle cap when affixed to the preexisting beverage container provides a flow of the beverage from said container through said cap.
 2. The bottle cap of claim 1, wherein the base of the long spout replacement bottle cap has a outside diameter of 0.5 to 3.0 inches.
 3. The bottle cap of claim 1, wherein the spout of the long spout replacement bottle cap has an outside diameter 0.2 to 0.8 inches.
 4. The bottle cap of claim 1, wherein the base comprises of multiple thread sizes arranged concentrically for fitting to multiple pre-existing disposable beverage container threads.
 5. The bottle cap of claim 1, wherein the base of the long spout replacement bottle cap connects via a coupling wherein the coupling comprises of: a. nut threads of the size compatible to the pre-existing disposable beverage container on one end and b. bolt threads of the size comparable nut threads on the long spout replacement cap on the other end.
 6. The bottle cap of claim 1, wherein a valve is disposed between the long spout and base of the cap.
 7. The bottle cap of claim 6, wherein a valve is a push-pull actuated assembly creating an open, fluid-flowing state and a closed, fluid-stopped state.
 8. The bottle cap of claim 6, wherein a diaphragm valve that is squeeze threshold activated.
 9. The bottle cap of claim 5, wherein a valve is disposed between the long spout and base of the cap.
 10. The bottle cap of claim 9, wherein a valve is a push-pull actuated assembly creating an open, fluid-flowing state and a closed, fluid-stopped state.
 11. The bottle cap of claim 9, wherein a diaphragm valve that is squeeze threshold activated.
 12. The bottle cap kit wherein a plurality of such caps of claim 1 are packaged together for commercial sale each having a different standard thread size corresponding to a number of pre-existing beverage containers.
 13. The use of an extended straw replacement bottle cap of claim 1 